Parts of speech
P'arts of speech' are categories of words grouped by how they are used. There are eight major parts of speech that are commonly used in the English language. They include nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections. For use of these parts of speech in composition, [[Elements of Style]] by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White is a good resource. Nouns Nouns are defined as a person, place, thing or idea. They answer the questions who or what"Parts of Speech Overview." Purdue OWL. Purdue University. 28 November 2011. Web. 19 February 2013. . Examples *The bird found a worm. *The cat ran fast. *'Courtney' and Harmoni '''ate '''peppers. Verbs A verb is used to show action or a state of being"Parts of Speech Overview." Purdue OWL. Purdue University. 28 November 2011. Web. 19 February 2013.. There are two types of verbs action verbs and linking verbs. Action Verbs Action verbs do what they sound like--they express an actionWoods, Geraldine."Linking Verbs versus Action Verbs." English for Dummies, 2nd edition. 2010. Web. 21 February 2013. Examples *Alyssa will be mad when she sees that no one cleaned their dishes. *Shelby is angry when we tease her. *We were happy as we ran to the finish line. Linking Verbs Linking verbs are also sometimes called "being verbs because they express a state of beingWoods, Geraldine."Linking Verbs versus Action Verbs." English for Dummies, 2nd edition. ''2010. Web. 21 February 2013". Examples *Alyssa '''will be' mad when she sees that no one cleaned their dishes. *Shelby is angry when we tease her. *We were happy as we ran to the finish line. Pronouns There are three pronouns:'' a'', an, and the. They are found before nouns in a sentence"Parts of Speech Overview." Purdue OWL. Purdue University. 28 November 2011. Web. 19 February 2013.. Quick hint: if the word begins with a vowel, an is the appropriate pronoun to use. Examples *'The' bird found a 'twig for its nest. *'The mom decided to cook an '''egg for her son. *Liz used '''a computer to do her homework. Adjectives Adjectives, very simply, modify nouns. In the English language, adjectives are typically placed before that nouns that they describe. There are numerous categories of adjectives, such as quanitity adjectives or sound adjectives, all of which better describe nouns"Grammar: Adjectives." Enchanted Learning. ''Enchanted Learning, n.d. Web. 21 February 2013.. Examples *The '''red' ball bounced. *Sarah was mad when she saw the messy 'kitchen. *'Sleepy Meagan took a long 'nap. Adverbs Adverbs modify verbs just as adjectives modify nouns. It can answer the questions ''how, when, where ''and ''how much. ''Most adverbs, not all, can be identifed by the ending ''-ly"What is an Adverb?"'' uOttawa.'' University of Ottawa, n.d. Web. 21 February 2013.. Examples *The girl ran '''quickly. *We went to the bank today. *The mother waited patiently 'for her daughter. Prepositions Prepositions link other parts of speech together in a sentence. There are only 150 prepositions in the English language"What is a Preposition?" ''uOttawa. University of Ottawa, n.d. Web. 21 February 2013.. Examples *Nicole is '''near Maria. *Alyssa is jumping over a hurdle. *Meagan is homesick because she is away''' from home. Conjunctions Conjunctions join ideas in a sentence. Common conjunctions include and, but, ''and ''although"Conjunction." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2013. Web. 21 February 2013.. Examples *Nicole '''and Meagan are doing homework. *I would go running, but it's cold outside. *'Although '''she is tired, Alyssa went shopping. Interjections Interjections are used to show strong emotion. They typically are at the beginning of a sentence and are usually followed by an exclamation point. ''Yes ''and ''no ''can also be classified as interjections"What are Interjections?" ''Explanation of Interjections. Grammar Monster, n.d. Web. 21 February 2013.. Examples *'Ouch!' I burned my hand on the stove! *'Yes, '''I can do you a favor. *'Geez''', I didn't realize it was that serious. References